hear of

phrase

1
: to be aware of the existence of
I've never heard of him.
2
: to entertain the idea
—used in the negative
wouldn't hear of it

Examples of hear of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Linus Torvalds built the operating system that runs most of the internet and most people outside the tech world have never heard of him. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 There’s a whole generation of people who haven’t seen the movie or even heard of it. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026 When people hear of their upstairs-downstairs arrangement, no one is shocked. — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 14 Oct. 2026 Lawrence Altman, a longtime New York Times reporter who covered the health of presidents and political leaders, had never heard of Branswell until some long-ago press briefing. — Andrew Joseph, STAT, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hear of

Word History

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of hear of was in 1584

Rhymes for hear of

See All Rhymes for hear of

Browse Nearby Words

Hearn
hear of
hear oneself think
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hear of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hear%20of. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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